Of course they have expenses such as shots, vet bills if they get sick, food, toys, etc. However they bring us joy better than a bunch of useless Chinese made crap that we could have bought.

It sickens me when I hear of people spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on things like heart surgery for their dog when there are starving people out there. I give my money to AIDS charities and to CARE which helps people in Third World countries to become more self-sufficient through farming.

I hate it even more when people say that they prefer the company of animals instead of humans, simply because human beings annoy them. It’s like saying you prefer the company of a blow-up doll, because they can’t talk back.

If I were to get a pet, now that I’ve moved into the city, it would be medium to large sized dog that would act as a watchdog. I’d take it out for walks regularly to give it and myself exercise(will be added protection for myself when wandering about too). I’d feed it and pat it on the head, but would train it to remind it that I’m the boss(somewhere in their genetic makeup, dogs had a tendency to run in packs, and need to recognize a leader). I wouldn’t talk down to it like it were a cute little baby or put bows around it, I think that’s just simply demeaning and cruel to animals.

I love my cat. He loves me. He doesn’t give a damn what I look like, or what the house looks like. He comes running when I come home, and puts his paws around my neck for a kiss. And I never yell at him when he stands on my incisions, wanting affection. I’ll carry him around the house and do things one-armed, because he wants to be carried, Mommy! No matter how berserk his yodeling may make me (what do you want? Food? Water? Cat food? Catnip? Clean litter? WHAT??), I don’t shut him out of the room so that I can get some sleep – I’d rather have him with me. He’s my family.

Do a little research and find a breed that fits your expectations … Then

Find a Good Breeder to find a health dog …. or the HS also has healthy dogs for you to select from.

A free good resource to start you search is http://www.findapurebred.com for photos, history and breeders.

Thinking about it like that makes having a dog seem cheap!

(don’t enter me in the contest, I’ve read the book and loved it!)

I’m sorry to say, but I see a lot of you speaking about pets fulfilling your needs…but really it needs to be about the animal. What have you done for your dogs or cats? Most likely nothing. Maybe love love and more love, but that isn’t all a dog needs.

I know you all mean well by it but these animals arn’t your children they are dogs, cats, birds, etc. NOT HUMANS! So don’t treat them like humans…let them be dogs.
Don’t waste money on an animal if you are not going to cater to that animals needs.

For your finance blog: Single folks die much earlier than married folks. So no matter how much 401k I build up, staying single may keep me away from every enjoying it.

Think about that.

So my quality of life has been enhanced by my two cats, who, do affect me financially, but are worth every dime, — If you advocate putting money into a 401k, then you should also be advocating single people to be pet owners – in the event that they have thought about it for at least a year, planned for it, and realize they are your children. And like the post above, MUCH MUCH cheaper than real live children. (I pay zero for childcare, and I don’t get in trouble with the law for leaving them home alone).

My fiance (hereafter known as Stud Muffin) and I had seen Buster hopping around the resort that we work at for several weeks. He was obviously a domesticated rabbit, so one afternoon we got bored and decided to try to catch him. We were quite surprised when we actually did it. The normally hard-hearted Stud Muffin melted and began cuddling and cooing at Buster.

We spent three days trying to find a new home for Buster and then gave up and decided to keep him. During the summer, Buster costs us 18 dollars a month, all for his litter. In the winter, it will probably be about twice that since we will have to buy food for him instead of letting him eat wild things. When we move out of our apartment, we will have to pay to steam clean the carpet and flea bomb the house, at our landlord’s insistance.

Buster is mostly a pain in my ass. His pee stinks like nothing you’ve ever smelled before, he’s very picky about what he eats, and he’s bitten about 12 different electric, phone, tv, and video game cords in half. He won’t come near me unless I’m eating fruit, in which case he’ll claw his way into my lap and try to snatch it out of my mouth. He bites my ankles if I’m standing where he wants to walk.

However: I get a light, happy, feeling whenever I see Stud Muffin hold Buster. Stud is normally not a sentimental or even friendly guy. His last pet was a Rottweiler. He hunts, smokes cigars, likes beer with his breakfast, and considers all hippies dirty until proven otherwise. But when he holds Buster, his voice goes up about an octive. He smiles, he tolorates the occasional scratch when Buster tries to get down, and he actually kisses him on the head. It amuses him when Buster tears around the house like crazy, leaping into the air and diving under chairs.

Buster doesn’t give much affection, compared to a cat or a dog. He requires more work than a fish or a gerbil. He costs more than a pet rock. The thing I get from Buster is his ability to make Stud come out of his shell. Rabbits hardly ever make a sound, but Buster can make my fiance laugh, a sound that is also rarely heard.

Kai0, kudos for adopting a stray. Hard to believe someone would abandon a dog as cool as a jack russel. Maybe they didn’t realize how energetic they are.

what an ass.

ps: i didn’t buy my cat, she was a stray when i found her.

My aunt she has a cat (free), and doesn’t spend much $$ on her pet, i guess probably $20 each months on foods & toys for it. Its a good thing to keep her entertaining and to keep her at home away from casino.